Aside from the leaky cup of lukewarm snack-bar joe, golf and coffee rarely cross paths. But down in Long Beach, behind big storefront windows and a dark awning, there is a lounge-chair-lined intersection where Mizunos meet macchiatos, where the pings of a driver meld with the familiar hiss of a steam wand.
Long Beach Coffee & Tee is about to celebrate its second anniversary on West Park Avenue, and judging by its packed weekend tee sheet, the attractive espresso bar/driving range has settled into a comfortable niche within Long Island's percolating indoor-golf scene. The cafe features three golf simulators, a coffee counter and a cocktail bar. An expansion into a vacant former gym last fall made additional room for two of those sims along with TV-topped lounge seating and event space.
Best of all, as the name suggests, the place is serious about both golf and coffee culture. As a cafe, Long Beach Coffee & Tee pulls excellent renditions of coffeehouse standards — cappuccinos, cortados, and harder-to-find specialties like Vietnamese iced coffee. An in-house baker turns out a variety of desserts, including some snacks that are well-suited for Instagram hype. (See the recent video post on pastry-packed bread pudding.)
Its location just a block away from the Long Beach train station has made it a dependable stop for neighbors in need of a morning jolt. "We have coffee customers who don't even know we have golf simulators in here," says Natalie Arnold, who owns Long Beach Coffee & Tee with her husband Richie and business partner Kevin Hanrahan.
Customers who do pay attention to the golf end of the business will find two back-to-back simulators at the heart of the space, both lined with counter stools within easy reach of the bar. In the back, a more private simulator room offers an environment on par with a stylish club lounge, with a leather couch, padded chairs and plaid wallpaper. The Uneekor sims provide a wealth of swing data and feedback for the hard-core players; for those in a more competitive mood, GSPro software allows for rounds on the thousand-plus user-generated courses in its catalog. There are also options to play target-style and kid-friendly games and challenges.
Arnold says one early customer was concerned the simulators weren't tracking his typical ball flight, and she assured him the technology was professionally calibrated and accurate. "We pulled up the data and clubhead video, and he realized his swing was off," she says. "He's been practicing here ever since."
LBC&T's devotion to golf runs deep. Patterned throw rugs around the cafe and sim rooms are cut from old Southampton Golf Club carpets. Recognizing the dearth of driver-friendly ranges in the area, Arnold offers a 15-minute, 15-dollar special for players who want to warm up — drivers, fairway woods and all — before a morning round at Lido, Bethpage and other nearby courses. Appropriately titled "Morning Wood," the deal includes a cup of coffee as a bonus. "People love it. They really get a rise out of it," Arnold says with a laugh. Standard rates are $65 per hour and $35 for 30 minutes, and local pro Mike Reilly is available on site for lessons.
For now, booking is done the old-fashioned way — with a pencil, pad and phone. But that hasn't dampened the rush on tee times. Arnold's hand-scrawled tee sheet is filled to the brim on weekends, and there is heavy interest in golf leagues that LBC&T is launching February 1.
The only drawback to all the buzz, Arnold says, is the decline in practice time for her and Richie. "We used to have more downtime to hit balls," she says. "Now we have more simulators but less time to practice."
Long Beach Coffee & Tee is located at 220 West Park Ave. in Long Beach. Follow on Instagram at @longbeachcoffeeandtee and book times at (516) 608-9333.
